Contents

Introduction

Akatsuki is well equipped to rushdown and punish other characters for attempting to escape his grasp.

Akatsuki is one of the two characters in the game who can double jump. He's also one of the two characters in the game who possesses an aerial throw. However, he also posssesses close-ranged normal attacks like other characters in past fighting games, as well as different sets of normals from a stationary or directional jump.

Akatsuki, much like his original appearance in his home game, is a standard character with a projectile, rushing expansion move and anti-air attack, making him a shoutouclone that's easy to use and pick up, but hard to master.

His Force Function is a special move that nullifies opponent's attack and counterattacks the opponent's non-projectile attacks, which is a mechanic directly lifted from his game of origin. He has short reach and a step-type dash, so getting close to your opponent may be difficult. His jump is also quite short, so he has a double jump to make up for it, though that can give him some edge in aggressive jump arcs not unlike most hop-based fighters that rely on good aerial offensive approach.

His step-dash limits his ability to close the gap from farther distances and overall gives him lackluster grounded-mobility, but his overall-combo game leads him into having solid damage conversions while also being easy to pick up for any situation on-hand; at a cost however, Akatsuki being a primarily-close-ranged-fighter no doubt struggles against the rest of the cast that packs longer ooking-range outside of his ability to zone with his only projectile move. On top of that, Akatsuki has no chargeable moves.

Because of the above, solid Akatsuki players must rely heavily on a patient neutral game in order to bait and punish anything that comes their way, especially with his solid amount of anti-air/reversal options, and his quick normal attacks that work as great hit confirms into many of his combos as aforementioned. Another weakness of his however, is that his mixup options are both standard and limited.

In Exe:Late[st] Akatsuki regains his close 5B from his original game. Unfortunately, you can only confirm c.B into f.B using a smart steer. Also, Akatsuki has a few new combo routes, along with being able to chain into his air throw during to end combos (though it can't be done from midair attacks, as Akatsuki must juggle the opponent first then jump after them with the air throw).

Move List

Normal Moves

Input

Damage

Guard

Cancel

180

Crouch/Stand

SP/JC/EX/CS/IWC/CVO

Standing cross to a quick jab, both in a single input. Can be used two times before Smart Steer starts. The second punch itself moves Akatsuki a distance forward, but only if the first one connects on hit or block. Thus if it whiffs, it can be rapid-fired on its own. If the opponent moves into either jab, then the next one (either the cross or jab) will always move Akatsuki forward to start the next portion of the Smart Steer.

Smart Steer: (5A) x2, 5B*, 5C*, 2C, 6C, 214B, j.236C

*These normals when spaced properly, will have their far-ranged versions be performed instead of the close-ranged versions.

Input

Damage

Guard

Cancel

150

Crouch

SP/JC/EX/CS/IWC/CVO

Crouches and does a cross-to-jab (like his 5A). Repeatable as a rapid-fire light normal.

In Exe:Late[st], its a low move, despite most crouching jab/light punch attacks of similar nature.

Input

Damage

Guard

Cancel

(Close)

510

Crouch/Stand

SP/EX/CS/IWC/CVO

Hits the opponent with an uppercut. Can be used to pick downed opponents.

This move was added in arcade version of Exe:Late[st].

Input

Damage

Guard

Cancel

(Far)

480

Crouch/Stand

SP/JC/EX/CS/IWC/CVO

Push kicks before him with his leading leg. Quite long reach for a footsies tool.

In Exe:Late[st], it can only be performed in far-ranged and as a follow up for his original close-ranged 5B.

Input

Damage

Guard

Cancel

490

Crouch

SP/JC/EX/CS/IWC/CVO

Low striking kick while balancing on his following leg. Decent footsies tool.

Input

Damage

Guard

Cancel

Dash

540

Crouch/Stand

SP/EX/CS/IWC/CVO

Same motion as close version of 5C.

In Exe:Late[st], it's a very important combo tool, and can be used to pick downed opponents.

Input

Damage

Guard

Cancel

(Close)

690

Crouch/Stand

SP/JC/EX/CS/IWC/CVO

Knee kick. Can be used to pick downed opponents.

Input

Damage

Guard

Cancel

(Far)

736

Crouch/Stand

SP/JC/EX/CS/IWC/CVO

Spins around and kicks high. Doesn't usually hit crouchers, but it's a decent standing anti-air normal.

Input

Damage

Guard

Cancel

620

Crouch

SP/JC/EX/CS/IWC/CVO

Sweep kick. Used to poke and knockdown for combos. A bit of an in-and-out move that sometimes should be used carefully in a blockstring.

Input

Damage

Guard

Cancel

Dash

850

Crouch/Stand

SP/EX/CS/IWC/CVO

Spins around and kicks via roundhouse kick. Hitbox is about the same as 5B. Blows the opponent and causes wallbounce.

Input

Damage

Guard

Cancel

j.

140

Stand

SP/EX/CS/IWC/CVO

Nostalgic-looking flying knee kick. Despite it being a jumping elbow/knee normal, it doesn't last as long compared to something such as Yuzuriha's j.A.

Input

Damage

Guard

Cancel

j. /

420

Crouch/Stand

SP/EX/CS/IWC/CVO

Long kick with leading leg. Works for cross-ups and jump-ins, though the cross-up hitbox is not as strong.

Input

Damage

Guard

Cancel

j.

456

Crouch/Stand

SP/EX/CS/IWC/CVO

Upward leading-legged kick. Has bigger hitbox downwards than normal j.B, and is used more for stationary jump-in combos and to stuff aerial approaches.

Input

Damage

Guard

Cancel

j. /

590

Crouch/Stand

SP/EX/CS/IWC/CVO

Downward leading hand chop. Short reach and slams the opponent to the ground as a standard air combo finisher. Unlike other characters' air combo finishers who has a untechable knockdown property, this air combo finisher has no untechable knockdown property, and albeit weak, making opponents tech recovery properly. Can't be continued to SP/EX/CS but can cancel to other normals until it was changed in 2.03 on console version to be able to cancel to SP/EX/CS/CVO.

Exclusive to this game. Can also hit right below Akatsuki, which when positioned and timed just right, can work as an alternate form of cross-up.

Input

Damage

Guard

Cancel

j.

809

Stand

SP/EX/CS/IWC/CVO

Midair version of his Dash C; a midair back spin roundhouse kick. Causes wallbounce, and has decent priority like most kicks of this nature for a midair poke/an air-to-air.

Throws

Input

Damage

Guard

Cancel

+

1512

SP/EX/CS/IWC/CVO

Grabs the opponent via full-body hug and gives them a lightning shock explosion.

Input

Damage

Guard

Cancel

j. +

1512

CVO

Grabs the opponent and elbow-smashes them right below himself. Combo can be continued.In Exe:Late[st], the throw can be combo'ed into after a jump cancel from ground attacks, a bit similar to Eltnum/Melty Blood's air throw terminology, except it can't be chained into directly from air normals.

Force Function

Input

English Name

Japanese Name

Damage

Guard

Cancel

+Air OK

Reflector/Offensive Defence

攻性防禦

Crouch/Stand

SP/CS/IWC/CVO

Reflector move from the Akatsuki Blitzkampf. Guards the opponent's attack and then counterattacks the opponent's non-projectile attacks. Nullifies projectiles. Counterattack is SP cancel-able, but reduces damage a lot from the combo with heavy proration.

In Late:[st], you gain GRD on a sucessful parry. Also, the damage and the proration increased, so you can do stronger combos.

Command Normals/Unique Art

Input

English Name

Japanese Name

Damage

Guard

Cancel

Helmet Splitter

兜割リ

736

Crouch/Stand

CS/CVO

Wraps his open hand in lightning and does a fist smash in the style of a karate chop. Standard overhead tool and Akatsuki's original classic overhead.Instantly plummets the foe on hit, making it easy for OTG pickups. It's an unsafe move due to it being fairly slow on startup and rather laggy, but it can be Chain Shifted and EX-cancelled.

In Exe:Late[st] the move is safe on normal block.

Input

English Name

Japanese Name

Damage

Guard

Cancel

Chin Splitter

顎割リ

1210

Crouch/Stand

SP*/EX*/CS*/IWC*/CVO*

*Cancellable when opponent is in the airAkatsuki's classic uppercut punch where he steps forward in a backward lean to uppercut forward with his fist in lightning.Air/juggle combo starter since it launches the foe airborne; though if landed on airborne hitstun, the launch height will be much lower (such as from a sweep or a prior airborne hit).

Uncancel-able when hitting a grounded opponent or when guarded, but can lead to some interesting combos without the need to cancel it. However, the same cannot be said if it happens to be blocked, where Akatsuki can easily be punished. It works as a decent anti-air however, due to some decent level of head invincibility.

In Exe:Late[st] the move can be Chain Shifted on block, allowing Akatsuki to create blockstrings and/or frame traps off of this move.

Input

English Name

Japanese Name

Damage

Guard

Cancel

j.

Tile Splitter

瓦割リ

850

Crouch/Stand

CS/CVO

Akatsuki's midair command normal. Dive punches directly below him with electricity, causing him to break the ground slightly when he lands. Can be used to alter aerial trajectories and to bait opponents for a throw, since it has very little recovery and frame disadvantage.However, it's bound to allow the opponent to make a free move, only allowing enough time for Akatsuki to block upon recovering.

Input

English Name

Japanese Name

Damage

Guard

Cancel

j.

Cranium Splitter

頭蓋割リ

682

Stand

SP/EX/CS/IWC/CVO

New move added in the Exe:Late[st] arcade update 3.20. A downward axe kick (via the ending blow of his B version Shell-Piercing Legs) that inflicts stagger on a grounded hit, and shares the same damage properties as his j.7/9C while against airborne targets.

However, also shines for its incredible frame advantage even when shielded (which is only -1 on block), which makes a a solid pressure tool from a grounded Assault.

Special Moves/Sure-Killing Arts

Input

English Name

Japanese Name

Damage

Guard

Cancel

//Air OK

Volt Bullet

電光弾

925/1375

EX/CS/IWC/CVO

Akatsuki's classic projectile. A slow moving lightning ball projectile that's fired from Akatsuki's fist with a recoil animation. EX version shoots 3 balls. Can be cancelled with a Chain Shift after the ball starts moving. Only 1 ball can be on the screen at once (EX version is an exception).

A lot like projectiles in old fighting games, you can't use the move until the previous ball has disappeared, limiting its use as a zoning tool.

In In-birth[st] the B version speed increased and causes Knockdown. Also, you can combo off the EX version.

Input

English Name

Japanese Name

Damage

Guard

Cancel

//Air OK

Shell-Piercing Legs

徹甲脚

536/1235/1546

EX/CS/CVO

Akatsuki's classic expansion-type special. Flies forward with a variety of chain kicks while moving forward. A version has a lot longer recovery than in the original game. B version causes knockdown on hit. If the opponent block it, the 3rd hit is an overhead.

In Exe:Late[st], the A version causes tumble in counter hit and B version can be followed up.

Input

English Name

Japanese Name

Damage

Guard

Cancel

//

Human Pressing Cannon

人間迫砲

1361/1773/1947

EX-/CS/CVO-

Classic dragon punch reversal move where Akatsuki leaps upwards with a hooking energy punch turn straight upward, though with a different kind of command in comparison. EX uncancel-able on hit and block, and has Akatsuki peform a few blows from Armor-Piercing Legs. Chain Shift only on hit. A bit punishable on block or whiff.

In Exe:Late[st], it can now be chain shifted and cancelled to an EX move.

Infinite Worth

Input

English Name

Japanese Name

Damage

Guard

Cancel

Divine Wind

神風

3066

Akatsuki's classic super move. Unleashes the Blitz Motor and rushes the opponent with 27 hits finishing with an explosion from his fist causing recoil (same animation with Volt Bullet). The last hit wallbounces. Auto-combo ranbu-type super with start-up invincibility. Passes through the opponent on block. Easily punishable if it fails to connect.

In Exe:Late[st], the barrage and wall bounce position has been corrected, which can be sometimes useful for corner combo followups.

Infinite Worth EXS

Input

English Name

Japanese Name

Damage

Guard

Cancel

+++

Cherry Blossom Revised

桜花改

3640

Usable only when your own health is under 30 %

Starts with a purple pillar of light. If it hits, a special animation will be shown around 3500 damage is dealt. Use of the move will cause GRD Break, except if the user is in a Vorpal state before using it. If used within a combo, damage of the move is greatly reduced.